


Leader of the Pack

by CydSA



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-26
Updated: 2011-02-26
Packaged: 2017-10-15 23:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/165882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CydSA/pseuds/CydSA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared is a well known & successful dog trainer. Jensen has a dog that is utterly untrainable. Jared falls for Jensen on sight but the jealous animal has other ideas. And Jensen gives in every time. What’s a good dog trainer to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leader of the Pack

Jared called the class to heel. Literally. “Okay guys, I think that’s enough for today.” He knew the dogs knew he was talking to their people and not to them. Pink tongues lolled out of panting mouths and the dogs looked pretty tired as well.

“But I paid for a full hour!” The big guy, Tom Welling, had a toy Pom and had been a trouble-maker from the start. Jay hated beginner’s classes. Especially when he ended up with Ass-wipe the Would-be Dog Whisperer.

“Mr. Welling, it’s been an hour and fifteen minutes but I won’t charge you for the extra quarter of an hour!” Jay smiled at him, wide and innocent and he heard Chad’s snort behind him.

“Oh,” Welling muttered and hauled the Pom up into his arms, looking ridiculous with the tiny ball of fluff in his arms. “Sorry, I guess I just lost track of time I was enjoying myself so much with Killer here.”

Jay didn’t roll his eyes at all. Well, okay, maybe he did - just a little - but seriously? Killer? “No problem,” he agreed voice easy and calm. Killer let out a sharp bark and he rubbed a big hand across the little head. “You did good today, boy,” he crooned and Welling grinned as though he’d been given a dog biscuit.

“Killer is the smartest dog in the world,” he asserted and Chad’s braying cackle behind him made Jay want to step back on his friend’s foot.

“It’s only the first class,” he warned. “There’s a long way to go yet.”

Welling nodded and walked away, the tiny dog incongruous against his chest. Jared watched as the rest of the class loaded up and left. It would be interesting to see who retained what when next week rolled around. He had a feeling that Tom Welling was a competitive bastard and that Killer would prove top of the class yet again.

“You should ask him out, Jay-bird,” Chad hissed in his ear. “Dude is totally batting for your team.”

Jared glared at his best friend and business partner. “Don’t be more of a douche than normal, Chadwick,” he told him. “I could always give him your number.” Somehow, over the years, the random slurs had become Chad’s way of showing affection. Of course, they were also Chad’s way of being an utter asshole.

Chad held his hands up, face tight. “Do not infect me with your gay cooties, man!” He shook his head. “We’ve had this conversation before.”

“Then stop trying to pimp me out.” Jared and Chad were so involved in their own little domestic that they missed the small sound of someone clearing his throat. Several times.

“Excuse me!” The words were shouted and Jared spun to look at the speaker, ready to rip him a new one for yelling which had been completely unnecessary and…

“Holy fuck.” Jared heard himself say the words and then wished for the ground to open up and swallow him. “I mean, hi,” he said and held out his hand. “I’m Jared Padalecki.”

The vision in front of him blinked large green eyes behind wire-framed glasses and licked perfect lips nervously and replied, “I’m Jensen Ackles.”

“Hi,” Jared breathed and the vision’s mouth quirked up in a little grin.

“You said that already, dickwad,” Chad muttered and held out his hand. “Chad Murray, the yeti’s partner and friend.”

“Oh,” the vision - Jensen - said, “you’re, um, partners.”

“Yes,” Chad replied and then his eyes widened comically, “I mean, no! Dude! I like the ladies, Jay-bird here is the one into dudes.”

Jared closed his eyes. He really needed to call that hypnotist who’d offered to re-program Chad for free.

“Oh,” Jensen said again, a slight flush across his cheekbones.

“Sorry about Chad,” Jay apologised. “He only opens his mouth to change feet.”

“Hey!” Chad protested, “I need to make sure that all men know that Little Chad is exclusively hetero.” He made a grotesque hip swivel indicating ‘Little Chad’.

Jared sighed. “I think its women that need to know, dude, and be afraid, very afraid.”

“Asshole,” Chad told him.

“Dickhead,” Jared responded.

“Fuckwit,” Chad retorted.

“Metrosexual,” Jay taunted.

“Take that back, asshole!” Chad pointed at him. “I used that face cream once, to get into Sandy’s pants and that does not make me one!” Jared had almost forgotten entirely about their audience.

“I don’t think that means what you think it means,” Jensen’s soft voice cut through their noise and they both looked at him.

Jared literally felt himself sighing. Jensen had quoted the Princess Bride. He was also very, very pretty with spiky golden brown hair and those eyes and that mouth and oh god, he had freckles!

“…my dog?” Jensen was saying something. Jared hadn’t heard a thing. He also hadn’t even seen the big puppy at his feet. It was a rather beautiful black Labrador.

“Oh, hey you,” Jared crooned, dropping to his knees in front of the dog. Who growled. At him!

“Wow, he’s never done that before,” gorgeous Jensen said with a frown. “Griff, no, bad dog!” The puppy turned sad brown eyes on Jensen who crouched down and scrubbed his hand over his head. “Its okay boy, you’re not in trouble.”

Griffin turned his head back to Jared and he could have sworn the dog looked satisfied with himself. He held out a hand. “I’m Jay,” he told the puppy.

Griffin bit him.

[   
](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=dog-prints-borderr.gif)

“I just don’t understand it, Chad,” Jared told his friend who was still laughing even though he was helping him to disinfect the dog bite. “All dogs love me. Why does the dog of the only guy that I’ve looked at in months have to be Cujo?”

“Karma?” Chad suggested and nimbly skipped away when Jared swung at him. “It barely broke the skin. You maybe took the dog by surprise.”

“Should I go to the doctor for a jab?” Jared asked.

Chad rolled his eyes. “Grow a pair, dude,” he told him.

“My life sucks monkey ass some days, you know?” Jared sighed and yelped when Chad swiped the alcohol over the small mark.

“You are such a girl sometimes, Padalecki,” Chad said and Jay totally knew that he was enjoying this way too much.

“I hate you,” he told Chad.

“Poor baby,” Chad said and stuck a Minnie Mouse Elastoplast on his hand.

“You hate me too, don’t you?” Jared mourned, looking at the symbol of his not-masculinity.

“You’d better go and tell Cujo’s owner that you’re not about to die,” Chad told him and headed upstairs.

They’d bought the place together, converting the big house into an office and a home. He’d given Chad the upstairs area. The one time, in college, that he’d walked in on Chad with a girl had scarred him for life. He had no desire to repeat the trauma.

Jay squared his shoulders and went to the living room. Jensen was sitting with his head in his hands and Cujo…Griffin was lying at his feet. The puppy barked once when he spotted him and Jensen lifted his head and Jared felt himself falling into Cujo’s owner’s unhappy green eyes.

“I am so fuckin’ sorry,” Jensen said, standing slowly.

Jared heard the Texas in his drawl and shook his head. “I’m okay, just a little shocked actually.” He looked down at the spawn of the devil and wanted to bare his own teeth. “It’s so weird, all dogs love me. Until today, I’ve never been bitten before.”

“I am _so_ sorry,” Jensen repeated and sighed. “But I heard you were the best and I’m at my wits end, Griff here is eating my house up.”

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Eating your house up?” he asked.

Jensen nodded. “He’s bitten through every chair leg in the house, destroyed the upholstery on all my seats and peed in my bed. So, yeah, eating my house up.”

Jared looked down at the puppy, who was laughing at him. “So you need some help then?” he asked.

Jensen nodded. “Please?” His eyes were miserable and desperate and Jared had never met a dog he couldn’t train.

“No problem,” he declared way more confidently than he felt. “Piece of cake.” Griff made a snorting noise low in the back of his throat that Jay was convinced was his way of saying ‘bring it, buster’.

He scheduled Jensen in for three one hour sessions over the next three days. He also subtly tried to discover as much as he could about Jensen. Jared didn’t do subtle too well.

“If you have a wife, girlfriend, significant other, then you might want to bring them along. Everyone in the house will need to know the commands.”

Jensen looked at him steadily. “It’s just me and Griffin,” he said and Jared wanted to punch the air and find some stairs so that he could have a Rocky moment.

“Okay then,” he said instead, maintaining that cool exterior, and crouched down to look Griff in the eyes. “See you tomorrow, big guy,” he said softly. The dog snarled and would have taken off Jared’s nose if Jensen hadn’t been holding a short leash.

“Oh my God,” Jensen said in despair. “This is ridiculous.”

Jared stood again and shook his head. “Nah, that’s a dog for you. He sees himself and you as a pack. I think he thinks that he’s the alpha dog.”

“And I should be the alpha dog, right?” Jensen asked.

“Yeah,” Jared nodded. “But we’ll work on that over the next couple of days.”

“Thank you,” Jensen gratefully shook Jared’s hand and dragged Griffin away.

[   
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“You’re already gone on him, aren’t you?” Genevieve snipped at the ends of the hair curling into Jared’s collar.

“No!” Jay protested. “I only met him today.”

“Jay,” she chided. Gen was one of his best friends, enrolled in one of his advanced classes and a heck of a pinch hitter when it came to trimming hair.

Jared flushed. “I’m not even sure he’s gay,” he told his beer.

“No guy that pretty is straight,” Chad declared confidently from his slouch in front of the television.

“He’s good looking?” Gen asked, eyes bright. “And stop stereotyping people,” she told Chad.

“I wouldn’t kick him out of bed,” Chad said around a swallow of beer and then sputtered when they both looked at him. “If he was a girl, I meant!”

Gen and Jared snorted with laughter while Chad glowered at them. “I hate you both,” he told them.

“So are you going to ask him out?” Gen asked, turning back to Jared’s hair.

Jared tried to shake his head but she flicked his ear to keep him still. “No, it wouldn’t be professional.”

Chad fell off the sofa laughing. “Sure, we’re the most professional bunch out there.”

Jared flipped him off and Gen ignoring the laughing hyena on the floor. “Rules, baby, sometimes its okay to break them.”

“Did Jay-bird tell you that his new boyfriend’s dog hates him?” Chad asked from his spot on the floor.

“First, he’s not my boyfriend. Second, his dog just needs a little something extra.” Jared refused to look over at Chad.

“First, I thought you were going to jump him and second, his dog might be possessed by Genghis Khan,” Chad retorted.

“His dog hates you?” Gen asked. She sounded as shocked as Jared had felt.

He sighed. “His dog thinks I’m trying to muscle in on his pack. I just need to remind Griffin who the alpha dog is.”

“You?” Gen asked with a grin.

“Jensen,” Jared corrected her.

Chad snorted. “That dude is no one’s alpha dog. I bet he’s the bottom in the relationship.” He stopped when Gen and Jared stared at him. “What? I’ve done my research and Jay-bird is a total top.”

“Just when I think you can’t be more of an asshole…” Gen glared at Chad.

“You know you want me,” Chad said, utterly confident.

“I really, really don’t,” Gen said and patted Jared’s shoulder. “I’m done.”

He stood up and turned to give her a kiss. “Thanks darlin’,” he said and went to get her a glass of wine.

“So how are you going to charm the dog?” Gen asked when he came back to her and handed her the glass.

“I guess I’m going to have to play it by ear,” Jay shrugged. “It’ll be a challenge.”

“In more ways than one,” Gen smirked and ground her heel into Chad’s instep as she went past him to her seat. He howled in protest and Jared grinned. At least he had one friend who still used her frontal lobe.

[   
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Jared was a morning person. Chad was not. It worked most days. Jared got up, put the coffee on, went for a run. Chad sloughed down later, finished the coffee and hit the books.

Jay whistled as he showered, thinking about the day ahead. It was packed with appointments and then, like a lighthouse in a storm, there was Jensen to end his day. Griffin was just an obstacle to be surmounted.

He grinned. Mounted was exactly what he wanted to do to Jensen. He felt his dick harden and he gave it a lazy stroke as the heat of the water battered his shoulders. He thought of grass green eyes and freckles and a mouth that begged for kisses and his cock started aching. He jacked himself a little harder, breath quickening as he imagined the wealth of skin beneath the tight t-shirt and jeans. He came with a ragged groan, dropping his head against the tiles and breathing hard.

If this was what imaginary Jensen did to him, he didn’t even want to think about the reality. He might die from the pleasure. He looked forward to it - the pleasure - not the dying.

He pulled on his usual uniform of t-shirt and shorts and headed downstairs to get coffee and something too eat. In that order.

He heard Chad roll out of bed and poured them each a bowl of Cheerios. He couldn’t find any milk and made a mental note to do a food run today sometime.

The coffee was hot and strong and Jared closed his eyes and breathed the scent in.

“I draw the line at watching you and your coffee have sex,” Chad scratched his belly as he walked in. He picked up a handful of Cheerios on the way to the coffee machine. He crunched and poured and stumbled back into the chair opposite Jared.

“We have a wonderful relationship,” Jay said. “Coffee never cheats, lies or forgets to call you back.”

Chad groaned. “It’s too early for anyone human to be awake.”

“It’s seven in the morning. Half the world has been awake for hours already.” Jared liked to poke at Chad in the mornings. It was the only time he got to take mostly uncontested jabs.

“Carry on and I’ll tell your boyfriend that you have the hots for him,” Chad said, opening a bleary blue eye.

Jared shuddered. “Fine, I’ll be quiet.”

They drank and ate in silence for a while and then started talking about the classes planned for the day. Chad was the business head of the partnership. He’d discovered a surprising aptitude for numbers and balancing the books. Jared was sure it was because he had been a casino boss in another life.

Jared was the trainer, the face of ‘College for Canines’, and he’d never met a dog he didn’t like, or who didn’t like him. Until Griffin. “So, any ideas about how I should deal with Jensen’s dog?” he asked, striving for casual.

Chad’s snort told him that it hadn’t worked. “You’re the dog whisperer. I just hand you the toys.”

Jared sighed. “I just don’t understand it, _all_ dogs like me.”

“Maybe he can smell the sex hormones coming off you with all the lust you’ve got in your shorts,” Chad smirked.

“Remind me why we’re friends again?” Jared asked.

“Because I’m awesome,” Chad declared.

“Right. That must be it,” Jared rolled his eyes and heard the barking from outside. “And so the day begins.”

It was well after three by the time Jared got a break. Chad had handed him two hotdogs around lunch time but he’d been focused on the rescue dog he’d been working with at the time. One of the greatest joys he had was to work with the dogs and humans who were involved in the search and rescue for missing people.

Callan, a border collie, was one of the best. She was two years old and smarter than most humans. Danneel, her owner, was just as smart, but a little sharper around the edges.

“Dani, stop shouting at her, she doesn’t understand why you’re so mad at her.” He put a hand on Dani’s shoulder and held out his other to the dog. “Come here, baby,” he crooned and Callan wriggled forward, belly flat on the floor.

Dani instantly dropped to her knees when she saw her dog’s woebegone face and held out her arms. “I’m so sorry, Call,” she said and the collie launched herself at her. They fell back in a laughing, barking heap and Jared grinned.

“This looks like fun,” Jared spun around at the words and yeah, Jensen was just as pretty as he’d been yesterday. Griffin stood at his side, ears perked and eyes on the pair on the ground.

“I’ve been mean to her,” Dani explained as she sat up and let Callan lick her face. The collie then noticed the pup and went on full alert. She took a quick look at Dani who nodded and then trotted over to Griffin.

The Labrador growled and Callan growled back. The pup immediately dropped to the floor, prostrating himself to Callan. Jared watched curiously. Callan sniffed at Griffin and then gave him a lick. Jensen looked at Jared and Dani who both nodded their permission. He unclipped the leash and with a wild yip, Callan took off with Griff racing after her.

“I’m Dani,” the gorgeous redhead offered her hand to Jensen with a smile and Jared waited with bated breath to see if Jensen would go the way of the rest of straight mankind on seeing that beautiful smile.

“Jensen,” he greeted with a polite but uninterested smile. Jared only just managed to stop himself doing a dance around the yard.

“He’s a lovely dog,” Dani noted, watching the two animals sniffing each other.

“Thanks,” Jensen said. “She’s pretty beautiful too.” He indicated the Border collie who just then snapped at Griffin for getting over-exuberant.

“Call,” Dani shouted and she smiled as her canine partner streaked back to her. Tongue hanging out, Callan sat down next to Dani.

“Wow,” Jensen said and looked at Jared. “Do you think Griff will ever do that?”

Jared scratched at the back of his neck. “If we get him to acknowledge that he’s not number one in the pack, then he’ll learn to obey pretty quickly.”

Griffin came back to Jensen and Jared could have sworn he glared at him. “Hey Griffin,” Jay said, crouching down to look the dog in the eye.

Griffin lifted his top lip and let Jared see all his white, sharp teeth. Jared sighed. “This is so weird. I don’t know why he’s taken such a dislike to me.”

Dani made a little sound behind him and he looked up at her. “What?” he asked.

She shook her head but her eyes were dancing with laughter. Jared clenched his jaw. “Come on, spit it out, Harris.”

Jensen was looking at her as well and she shook her head again, this time in pity. “The puppy is way smarter than you think, Jay.” She grinned. “Plus, dogs have a heightened sense of smell, remember?”

Jared stared at her. “I don’t under…” Realisation dawned. “I hate you so much I’m charging you for the last year of lessons.”

She laughed and clipped Callan’s leash on. “Sure, of course you will,” she said and patted his cheek. “See you next week, stud-muffin.”

“Hate you!” he yelled after her and blushed when he turned back to see Jensen staring at him.

“She’s a friend of yours?” Jen asked dubiously.

“She’s just…” Jay flailed his hands around a little and then sighed. “Okay, I’d better just get this out of the way because one of my so-called friends is going to say something at some stage and then I’m going to be humiliated and you’ll never want to see me again and then your dog will end up being untrainable and you’ll give him to Animal Welfare because you can’t control him and they’ll be unable to house him and then he’ll be put to sleep and it will be all my fault.” He took a breath.

“You’re a very strange guy,” Jensen observed but his mouth curled in a little smile.

“You have no idea,” Jared agreed.

“What did you want to get out of the way?” Jensen asked. His smile was distracting Jared.

“That I’m attracted to you, in a non-professional way,” Jared blurted and his shoulders slumped. “Brain to mouth filter is obviously on the fritz again,” he sighed. “See, my friend Dani thinks that your Griffin is acting the way he does with me because he’s jealous of me.”

Jensen stared at him, smile gone. “Oh,” he said.

“Yeah, apparently Griff can sense my not-so-honourable intentions,” Jared agreed grimly. “So I will totally understand if you are too uncomfortable working with me and…”

“No!” Jensen interjected. “I’m good. I mean, I’m okay with you…I mean working with you.” He stopped, flushing and Jared took a moment to appreciate the fact that his goddamn freckles were even more appealing when lit up by embarrassment.

He felt his own mouth curving in a grin. “So we’re cool?” he asked.

Jensen nodded vigorously. “Completely. The coolest. Icy in fact.” And he bit his lip to shut himself up.

Jared grinned harder. “Excellent,” he said. “Shall we start?” Getting Jensen to fall for him was going to be easy!

[   
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In the first ten minutes of their private lesson, Griffin had nipped at his ankle, tripped him with his leash twice, and cowered behind Jensen when Jared had loomed over the puppy in frustration. Chad stood on the porch laughing his useless ass off.

“This isn’t going to work,” Jensen said, keeping Griffin behind him as though he was worried that Jared would beat his dog to death with a dandelion stalk. Jared totally could have.

“It’s always tough at first,” Jared said quickly. “Especially since you’ve bonded with Griffin. He sees me as the intruder so he’s being territorial.”

Jensen looked doubtful. “He really doesn’t like you,” he said. Griffin growled as if agreeing and Jared took a deep breath.

“Jen, please, just let me work with him alone for a couple of minutes. Go and have a soda with Chad in the kitchen and don’t come back until I call you.” Jensen blinked at the nickname but went with a chortling Chad anyway, looking back a couple of times to make sure Jared hadn’t killed his dog yet.

Jared sighed and sat down on the grass in front of Griffin, leash hanging loosely in his hand. The puppy didn’t take his eyes off him. “So, me and you need to iron out some issues,” Jay said.

Griff whuffed, sounding pleased with himself.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re tough and mean and stubborn, but dude, trust me when I say that I’m tougher, meaner and stubborn-er than you by about a million times.”

Griffin cocked his head to one side and watched Jared.

He picked up a ball and tossed it from one hand to the other. “See, I like your human, he’s my type and I think, if you gave me a chance, you’d find I’m his type too.” I hope, Jared thought silently.

Griffin gave a sharp bark, head moving with the arc of the ball, and Jared nodded.

“Yeah, you’d like me too if you let me show you how cool it is when you do something right and your human pets you and gives you treats and rubs your belly.” Jay put the ball down and gazed at the dog.

Griff whined and lay down, head on his paws, still watching Jared.

“I’m serious, Griff. Humans love it when their dogs do tricks and show off.” He leaned forward a little and whispered, “and it’s so easy you could do it in your sleep and still look like a total Lassie.”

Griffin inched forward little by little until his nose was touching Jared’s knee.

“So, how about you and I work together to make Jen smile and pet us?” he asked, staying perfectly still.

Griffin nudged Jared’s hand and Jared raised it carefully and put in on Griffin’s head. When the puppy didn’t move to take his fingers off, Jared dared to run his hand down the length of soft black fur. Griff stayed still, allowing Jared to rub his back and then he rolled over and Jared scratched the soft belly.

“You’re a beautiful boy, you are,” Jared crooned and Griff rolled back over and crept forward until his was sitting in Jared’s lap, licking his knee while Jared stroked him.

“Oh my God, what did you do to him?” Jensen’s voice was soft and full of wonder. Griffin lifted his head, gave a sharp yip and then dropped it again, nudging Jared’s hand to ensure the pampering continued.

Jared grinned up at Jensen. “I just had a little chat with him, sort of reminded him of how awesome dogs are.”

“Chad says you’re a dog whisperer,” Jensen said as he folded his legs beneath him and reached out to scratch behind Griffin’s ears.

“Nah,” Jared shrugged, delighted and relieved that he’d made the breakthrough. “I just believe that dogs are people too and that we should talk to them like we talk to each other.”

“Oh, I see,” said Jensen as though he understood, although he clearly didn’t.

“See,” Jared said, warming to his subject, “dogs react to eye contact, tone, volume and certain sounds like the ‘s’ and the ‘k’ letters in words.”

“For real?” Jensen asked, this time looking like he got it.

Jared nodded. “So I start off by meeting them on their level,” he indicated the ground. “Griff already imagined himself pack leader so I had to lower myself even more than usual.”

“Make him feel superior,” Jensen smiled at his dog.

“Exactly,” Jared grinned at him. “Ease him into the idea that I’m the pack leader.”

“But aren’t I supposed to be the pack leader?” Jensen asked and suddenly his fingers tangled with Jared’s in the silky fur and Jared froze.

“Uh…” Jared said and Griffin made a low grumble and they both carried on petting the dog, on opposite ends. “Well, you’re not very assertive with him are you?” he asked as diplomatically as possible.

Jensen scowled. “I’m an artist, not a disciplinarian.”

Jared rushed to assure him. “No, I get it, you’re not toppy…” he stopped. “I mean…” he shook his head. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Jensen made a little snorting giggle. “No, I’m not toppy,” he said and looked directly at Jared, eyes wide and green and warm.

Jared felt his skin go hot and his dick get hard and Griff growled.

“It’s okay, boy,” Jared told the puppy, “we’re just establishing a chain of command.”

“We are?” Jensen asked and this time Jared did _not_ mistake the flirty smile.

“Yeah,” he said, voice dropping and vowels lengthening.

“So, in our little dynamic, who’s on top?” Jensen asked and Jared shivered at the promise in his tone.

“I am.” And Griffin lunged up at him, snarling.

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“He’s like a gay chastity belt,” Chad noted as he wielded the cleaning alcohol again. The puppy’s claws had gouged into Jared’s thigh, leaving a couple of scratches on this sensitive skin. He’d howled with pain, the puppy had howled in triumph and the semi-romantic moment had been effectively destroyed.

The scratches stung like fuck and Jared could feel the throbbing in his toes. He sighed. Jensen had left with Griffin, apologetic and miserable. He’d wanted to cancel the next day’s class but Jared had convinced him to let him try once more time.

“I just don’t get it,” Jared said, looking at the scratches that had bled like a bitch.

“The dog knows you want to jump his papa’s bones,” Chad said. “He’s staking his territory, man. Simple mutt psychology.”

Jared scratched around the marks glumly. “I have to figure out how to get through to him tomorrow or Jen will walk out of my life forever. I mean, I’m supposed to be the best dog trainer in Texas and if I can’t get one Lab puppy to learn obedience then he’s not going to take me seriously and he sure isn’t going to want to date me.”

Chad raised a blond eyebrow. “Jen?” he asked, smirking at the nickname.

“Shut up,” Jay told him. “Get me a beer.”

“Get it yourself,” Chad retorted.

“I’m injured,” Jared reminded him.

“A couple of scratches on your leg is not injured, you pussy,” Chad said and went to the fridge with a grumble when Jared turned that puppy eyes on him. “You don’t play fair, dude,” he muttered reproachfully.

“Thanks, buddy,” Jared took the beer with a grin. “Your inheritance is secure.”

Chad snorted and they drank in silence for a while. “I can’t believe I’m even asking you this, but have you got any advice for me?” Jared asked eventually.

Chad looked at him. “You are asking me for help on how to get your man love?”

Jared’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah. It must be the apocalypse.”

Chad waggled his beer at him. “Your brain subconsciously knows that I am a love guru.”

Jared shook his head. “Never mind.” He had a scary notion that he would end up married in Las Vegas to a little person named Spike if he let Chad give him dating advice.

“No, let me gather my thoughts,” Chad protested and sat back, looking thoughtful. “You like Jenny, Jenny likes Griffin, Griffin hates you ergo, you’re screwed.” He nodded sagely.

“Thanks,” Jared said, tone drier than the Sahara. “And don’t call him Jenny.”

Chad missed the sarcasm. “You’re welcome, Jay-bird. I’m sure one of my honeys can find you a gay boy to play with.”

“Chad,” Jared sighed, “there are so many things wrong with that statement that I can’t even begin to enumerate them.”

Chad waved an airy hand. “Whatever, I think you just need to get laid. Harvey Handbanger is obviously not doing the trick for you any more.”

Jared stared at him. “I don’t know what disturbs me more. That you’ve been thinking about my masturbatory habits or that you have honeys. As in plural.”

“There’s more than enough of the Chad to go around,” Chad declared.

“More than enough bullshit, for sure,” Jared agreed. “I’m going to do some research. There must be a technique I’ve missed.” He trudged upstairs and started paging through his books. The problem was that most of Jared’s success with dogs had not come from a book. It was instinct.

He sighed and carried on looking. Maybe something would jump out at him.

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The next day started much like the first. He jerked off in the shower thinking about Jensen and his mouth and freckles and green eyes and came in a rush of heat and want. This was getting embarrassing. And reeked a little of desperation.

Chad had at least done a shop run yesterday and there was milk for his Cheerios this morning. He took his coffee outside and sat on the big swing on the porch, looking out the big yard covered in obstacles and sandpits and anything else a dog could dream of.

He watched as the sun rose slowly, watery light trying to break through the cloud cover. It was going to rain some time today.

It was the advanced show dogs first up this morning and Jared grinned and waved when he spotted Mike Rosenbaum and Titan pulling up.

The Great Pyrenees barked eagerly when he caught sight of Jared. Mike unclipped his leash and Jared put his mug down and headed down the stairs as the huge dog hurtled towards him. He planted his feet but still staggered back and down when Titan bulleted into him.

“Hey gorgeous,” Jay was smothered in tongue and slobber in about a second and he laughed as Titan flopped down on top of him.

“I still say he likes you more than me,” Mike said. Titan was two years old and a champion in his class and breed several times over.

“It’s the treats,” Jared laughed up at Mike who hauled him to his feet.

Titan rolled around in the sand for a bit and yipped in glee when he saw another car arriving. Jared gave a wave as Misha Collins opened his door and Gulliver streaked out. Misha shouted but the greyhound ignored him as he raced towards Titan.

Misha sighed and joined Mike and Jared. “I think my dog is gay for your dog,” he said to Mike.

“All dogs are gay for my dog,” Mike said with a grin.

They chatted for a while and finally Genevieve arrived with Spats. The miniature Daschund oozed out of the car and Titan and Gulliver bounced over to her. She lifted big brown eyes to them and made a little whining noise that had the two bigger dogs prostrating themselves.

“That is the saddest thing in the history of ever,” Jared shook his head. “Your dogs have no cajones.”

“Spats does voodoo,” Misha declared confidently and Mike nodded.

Jared waited for him to laugh but he appeared perfectly serious. “Okay,” he said and hugged Genevieve. “Ready?”

He spent two hours putting them through their paces. The show circuit was starting in a few months and his three star pupils were progressing nicely. Their humans weren’t always as successful.

Three pm came around just as quickly as the day before and Jared waited for Jensen and Griffin on the porch. The rain that had threatened that morning had finally arrived in silver-bright sheets.

Griffin was out of the car in a heartbeat and barrelled towards Jared. Jay sat down on the top step and waited to see what the puppy would do. Griff stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked up at him. Griff took two steps up towards Jared, clever pup moving just out of the rain.

Jensen came up and sat next to Jared on the stair. “So, what’s the plan of action today?” he asked and Jared looked at him, saw the ridiculous eyelashes jewelled with raindrops.

“Um, win over your dog and convince you to go out with me?” Jared suggested.

Jensen blushed, dipping his head as he looked down at his dog. “If you manage to tame this tiger today, then I’ll go out with you,” he said.

“Is that a challenge?” Jared demanded. “Because that sounded like a challenge to me.”

Jen flashed him a glance underneath long eyelashes, eyes almost impossibly green. “That _might_ be a challenge,” he hedged and grinned at Jared.

Jared couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward before his brain caught up with his body and kissed Jensen. For a moment Jensen froze but then his mouth softened and opened and he slumped against Jared.

The bark from the puppy dragged Jared’s attention back and he pulled away from Jensen and gazed down at Griffin.

He put an arm around Jensen’s shoulders and tugged him closer. Jensen looked a little dazed but he came readily, slotting his body down the length of Jared’s, fitting there pretty much perfectly.

“Hey Griff,” Jared said softly and held out his other hand to the Labrador.

Griffin growled and backed away. Brown eyes swung to Jensen and he gave a sharp bark. Jensen stiffened but Jared held him still. “Call him,” he told Jensen.

Jensen’s eyes were confused but he obeyed anyway. “Come here boy,” he called and Griffin gave a complaining whine.

“Again,” Jared urged.

“Griff, come here,” Jensen called, more authority in his voice, and the puppy slunk up the stairs on his belly until he was within reach of Jensen’s hand. He butted his head against the outstretched fingers and Jensen scratched him.

“Good boy,” Jared gave soft praise and Griff’s eyes came back to Jared. “Try to get him to sit here between us on the second step,” he told Jensen.

Without an argument or a question, Jensen obeyed. Griffin grumbled a little but he obeyed and eventually flopped down at their feet. “Wow,” Jensen breathed.

“Now, where were we?” Jared asked and kissed Jensen again.

The angle of the rain changed so that they were in its path. Glitter-soft water soaked them slowly and gently as they sat there, leaning against one another and kissing. Jensen’s mouth opened and Jared’s tongue swept in and tasted him. Their faces grew wet and their t-shirts clung to their chests but they carried on kissing.

It was pretty much the best kiss of Jared’s life. Griffin barked once and Jared pulled away from Jensen. The puppy was on its feet again and glaring at them. “Sorry, little dude,” Jared said. “I’m planning on doing this a lot more, so you’d better get used to having me around.”

Griffin growled and Jared said sharply, “No!” The black ears went flat on Griff’s skull and he subsided again with a little moan.

Jensen laughed. “So I guess that makes you the leader of the pack?” His lips were swollen and shiny. Jared couldn’t resist and he captured that mouth in another kiss.

“Woof, woof,” Jared said against his mouth and Griffin barked in response.

They both looked down at the puppy and then up at each other and burst out laughing.

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**Author's Note:**

> For the J2_ever after challenge based on the Disney movie Man of the House.


End file.
